Picture hanger or remover.



LITTE STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

HUGH IV. T. VILLIAMSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

PICTURE HANGER OR REMOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 688,044, dated December 3, 1901- Application filed July 24, 1901.

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HUGH W. T. WILLIAM- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture Hangers or Removers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved device for hanging up pictures on a wall and removing the same therefrom, the object of my invention being to provide a cheap and simple device which shall obviate the necessity of using step-ladders or the like for hanging and removing pictures.

My invention therefore resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts for the above ends hereinafter fully specified, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the head of the device. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the head, showing a picture-hook inserted therein prior to placing the hook on the mold'- ing; and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the head, the hook having been placed upon the molding and detached from the head.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a suitable stem or handle of any convenient length. Upon said handle is mounted a head 2, made of sheet metal, having a collar 3 secured around the upper end of the stem and being forked, as shown at 4. The rear edges of said head are cut away, as shown at 5, and the recess of one of the edges is used for a holder for a picture-hook 6, the lower end of said hook being supported by means of a spring-lever 7. Said lever is pivoted in a slot 8, and its inner end engages a notch 9 in the side of a slot 10 of the head, thereby holding said lever in a horizontal position to support the picture-hook in raising it to the molding. When the picture-hanger carrying said hook has been raised and the hook laid on the top of the molding in the desired position, the outer end of said lever comes into contact with the wall, so that said lever is pushed outwardly Serial No. 69,499. (No model.)

away from the wall and its inner end no longer engages the notch. The lever then drops by gravity, releasing the picture-hook, which is then left in the position upon the molding. As shown, the head comprises two parallel plates of sheet metal, forming a fork, and the upper edge of each plate is curved, the lower portion thereof being substantially parallel with the direction of the stem and the upper portion thereof making a considerable angle with said direction. Each edge has formed therein a series of notches 11, directed upwardly and making a sharp angle with said edge. By means of this construction a picture can be hung on a wall or removed therefrom without the necessity of using a step-ladder or the like device to reach the hook. Thus when it is desired to hang a picture the picture-wire is placed in a pair of said notches, and the head of the device is then pushed up along the wall, so that the two sides of the forked head come on each side of the lower end of the hook, and the wire passes in front of said hook. Said wire is then readily deposited on said hook and the picture will be hung. By a reverse operation the picture will be removed from the hook and lowered to the ground. The device may be used equally well for hanging a picture on a nail or removing it therefrom.

12 represents a roller which rolls against the wall when the device is raised to remove a picture. When it is desired to remove the hook, this will be effected by causing the roller to strike the lower end of the hook, and thus raise it from the molding. The hook will then fall into the interior of the head 2, which serves as a pocket to receive said hook.

I claim-n n l. In a device of the character described, the combination of the handle, and the head thereon having a recess in its rear edge, and a movable support for a picture-hook to be held in said recess, said support being ar ranged to be moved by contact with the wall to release the picture-hook, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of the handle,the head thereon having a recess in its rear edge, and hav- IOO ing two slots, and a spring-lever pivoted in one of said slots its. inner end engaging a notch in the other' slot to hold it in position to spport a picture-hook in said recess, subangle with said edge, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of the handle, and the forked head thereon having curved notched edges, and a roller between the two sides of the forked head below said notches, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

H. W. T. WILLIAMSON. Witnesses:

F. M. WRIGHT, M. T. BEGLEY. 

